Brussels, 28/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has made "significant progress" to integrate the Roma, according to two reports published on Tuesday 28 June. One of the reports was drafted by the European Court of Auditors and the other by the European Commission. Problems persist, however, such as the lack of statistical data on European level ethnicity and national initiatives to ensure that forced evictions are carried out in accordance with EU law.
This is one of the most significant problems identified by the European Court of Auditors: how to assess effective progress in the Union for integrating the Roma without statistical data on this community? Henri Grethen, the official in charge of the Court report, pointed out "As things stand, we don't really know how well Roma are being integrated because we don't have robust data; we don't even know how many Roma there are". Mr Grethen's report focused on EU initiatives and financial support for integrating the Roma over the past decade, particularly in Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary and Romania.
Among the many other recommendations formulated, the Court urges the Commission to work with the member states in drafting a common methodology for obtaining data about ethnic origin that will help to follow up the social integration of the Roma. Member states are then encouraged to collect over the next two years all data it is possible to obtain on ethnicity. Mr Grethen is aware of the fact that "Of course, ethnicity is a sensitive issue”, but warned that "Unless this problem is resolved, policy-making will soon be hampered all the way to 2020".
On the same day, the Commission published its first assessment report of the measures taken by the member states following the Council's 2013 recommendation on effective measures for integrating the Roma (see EUROPE 10875). The balance sheet they draw up is fairly positive and highlights increased investment in education as a means of integration, better use of EU funds and closer co-operation between civil society and the local authorities. It says, however, that they should not rest on their laurels and "to show more political determination" and carry out further measures in all areas. The Court ultimately made a similar observation but called for the level of finance in favour of Roma integration to be clarified.
The Commission pointed out that discriminatory policies still existed and in this respect referred to the recent opening of the infringement procedure against Hungary, for deliberately confining certain Roma children to institutes for the mentally disabled (see EUROPE 11559). In the long list of "horizontal measures to fight discrimination" recommended in 2013 by the Council, it should be pointed out that up until now, only one member state has provided notification that it has done something to " ensure that forced evictions are in full compliance with EU law and international human rights obligations". This appears to be the only recommendation that no one appears in a hurry to put into practice. (Original version in French by Jan Kordys)